Fear Factor was an American stunt/dare reality game show. It was originally created by Endemol Netherlands and first aired on June 11, 2001.

The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland. When Endemol USA and NBC adapted it to the American market in 2001, they changed the name to Fear Factor.

The show pits contestants against each other to complete a series of stunts better and/or quicker than all the other contestants for a grand prize of US$50,000. From Seasons One to Five, the contestants were generally three men and three women, all playing for themselves, but in Season Six, the show moved to a permanent format of four teams of two people, each with a pre-existing relationship with one another, all playing for a shared prize of the same amount. The show is hosted by comedian Joe Rogan and executive produced by Matt Kunitz. The theme music is composed and written by Russ Landau, while its incidental music is composed of rhythmic themes and cues most notably ripped from the popular game Half-Life.

As NBC's answer to the successful series Survivor, the show was initially a hit for the network in the summer of 2001, and built strong ratings for the next couple of seasons, but as the years passed, the ratings declined. In 2006, Fear Factor faced tough competition with TV ratings champion, the Fox talent series American Idol on Tuesday nights, and once again the ratings still declined. Despite much publicity concerning an improved format and better stunts for Season Six, NBC put the struggling program on hiatus for the remainder of the season to make room for the sitcom Joey, which was removed from the NBC lineup a few weeks later. NBC then canceled Fear Factor in May. The network began airing the remainder of the season on June 13, 2006, with the remaining episodes to be burned throughout the summer. http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_2914.asp http://www.nbc.com/Fear_Factor/ In 2004, Fear Factor became the first network reality show to be syndicated. Over its six seasons, Fear Factor earned NBC a reported $600 million in advertising revenue.

Desafio Total

In each pulse-racing "Fear Factor" episode, contestants (sometimes solo, often paired with spouses, siblings or best friends) recruited from across the nation must decide if they have the guts and determination to face their most primal fears. Under the supervision of professional Hollywood stunt coordinators, contestants are confronted with a series of challenging stunts. If they complete their task they advance; if fear stops them from completing a stunt or they fail the mission, they are immediately eliminated. The contestant who wins the final challenge takes home the prize. Written by Matt Kunitz

Each week, contestants (ex. alone, boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife, etc.) and/or celebrities compete in a battle of unusual and mentally stunts. These stunts are for trained professionals only. If a contestant completes the stunt also by doing this in the fastest time, that player is one step closer to winning the grand prize. If a contestant fails to complete a stunt when being tested or refuses to do it, that player is eliminated. The contestant or team who completes all 3 stunts wins that grand prize of $50,000. Written by Gary Richard Collins II (gcollinsii@aol.com)